Gaining muscle but not losing fat?

I have been working out and eating according to plan for about 2 1/2 months now. I do 30 minutes of weights 5-6 days a week, alternating between upper body and lower body workouts. I am noticing improvements in muscle tone and strength, but I don't seem to be losing the 'fat'. For those that are weight training as well as doing cardio, how long did it take you to see a difference not only on the scale but in your clothes?? I know that I am gaining muscle, but don't seem to be losing the fat just yet. How long does it take?

I am not sure what your body type is, but if you have a small frame then what you're describing kind of sounds like what I go through. When I start regularly exercising, I tend to bulk up a little - and even gain inches. When I stop working out, I get skinny. Maybe try a little bit more cardio vs. weights and conditioning and see what happens. Then if the results are satisfactory with losing fat, start incorporating more weights into your routine.

this works for me (I'm 5'6'' 120, and always had a small frame), I am not sure if it would work for you because I'm no expert.

Thanks cshammas00- I have a medium frame- 5'5" 170 lbs. I want to get down to 140. Everyone else I talked to is telling me that it will just take time for the muscle to increase my metabolism so that I start burning off the fat. It seems like everyone else is dropping pounds left and right and I am struggling to lose a half pound. I am working so hard I just want to see more of a difference to know I am on the right track.

I have been on the same routine as you for years, and last year I finally bought a treadmill because I thought I was lacking that cardio. I did a 5 day split routine with weights, and got lots of muscles, but still had the excess weight. I thought I would be ready for a cute bathing suit this year for sure, but even after the treadmill for a YEAR still have those 20lbs. I started counting calories and that seems to be what I was missing. I thought I was doing a great diet, didn't eat that much, but didn't realize how many calories I was taking until I started this. I cut out basically all unhealthy snacks and lost 3.5 lbs in the week that I have been doing this.

Just imagine working out like you are for 3 years, still having the fat, then getting a treadmill and using it for a year. That's where I am right now, the exact same weight for 2 years now, a year after working out with a treadmill for 5 days a week along with weights. Frustration is not even close to the word I would use! I have gone to bed crying at night, why am I not losing after all the weight training, after a whole year of treamill 5 days a week? I think it was the calories. If you put cardio into your routine and don't get results, start counting the calories.

Kim- I am so sorry that you have gone through that! I can't even imagine....So you said that counting calories is what worked for you? I have been counting calories, but not inputting into the program on this site because I don't have that much time to spend on the computer every day. I average about 1400-1500 calories per day. I don't always eat back the calories that I burn by working out though. I am so satisfied with 1400-1500 cals that I can't imagine eating more.

I think cardio is the only thing you are lacking. It's a triangle with weights, cardio, and diet, and it seems that you have 2 down already, and I had a different two so I'm hoping to fulfill the third with calorie counting. Start on that third and I think you will see the results because if I have learned one thing over the years is that the short cuts don't work for some of us!

These are all good ideas....check your calories, like by the book. Make sure you are 100% sure what you're taking in - including portion sizes. For example, my 'bowl' of cereal ended up being 1 1/2 cups! I had no idea until I actually measured in measuring cups. You don't have to be this precise always, but during this time while you're trying to figure this all out, it would be a good idea.

If worse comes to worse and you are really stumped you might want to get your thyroid checked out. If its hypoactive you could have a slower metabolism. In which case your doctor can prescribe you medication for that.

Thanks for the advice everyone. I was active all growing up with sports, then when I was 23 I had a major surgery and since then I have had the hardest time ever trying to lose weight. I have gained about 50 lbs since then (although nobody that I tell that too believes me because I gain weight very proportionally) but I know that I do not fit in my size 6 anymore and I want to!

I have been going to the gym and noticing that although my arms are getting toned and I'm losing in my face, my thighs, butt and legs are not losing at all! And this is very frustrating to me because I have never had to deal with having a hard time losing weight before. Anyone else on this page with me?

I am very active, always have been, always will be... but just having such a hard time getting this fat to go away.

Back in 2006 I decided that I was not going to move up to a size 12, so I started working out at the gym. I went to spinning class 2x per week and a cross-training class called "power flex" 2x per week, with one day of swimming mixed in. I gained weight (muscle). I finally decided to start tracking my calories and eating 5x's per day. What a difference that made!

Spreading my calories out over 5 mini-meals helped me lose 25 lbs! I have kept it off for 2 years now and I am very content with a size 8. I actually dropped my gym membership and substitued walking and a yoga DVD.

when i started my diet a couple of years ago, at about 159-161 on my 5'5 small frame, i was put on a 1450 cal diet and basically what i did was weight training 3x week for a long period of time (1 hour) so one day it was upper body, one day lower body and last was mixed very intense cardio/weights (circuit training)...ontop of this, i did cardio as much as i could without fatigue...so around 3-5 x a week a minimum of 30 mins.

it worked for me and over time i dropped my body fat about 10% and increased my strength like crazy.

i think you might be overdoing it on the # of times you do weights a week and you really need to cut it down and spend more time in one sitting isolating muscle groups. In addition, you can lift weights all you want, but you n eed cardio to burn the fat....!

If you're not always in front of the computer, you can write down the food you eat and your activities in a small notebook.

I have a small notebook I keep in my purse and I try to update it every meal and everytime I workout. Then either at the beginning of the day or at the end of the day, that's when I put it in the site. I know that it won't work as well as knowing a running count throughout the day but it still helps you find out how much you consumed for the day.